April was the only cheerful person in the whole crowd.
“How yunnuh likes Sherry fo’ de foreman?” he asked brightly.
No answer came at first, then Jake cleared his throat and spoke out:
“Sherry does de best e kin, but e ain’ got no time wid you, April. No.”
Then many other answers chimed in, “Shucks, nobody livin’ could make de foreman you was!”
“Dat’s de Gawd’s truth!” Sherry’s voice praising April as loud as any.
Uncle Isaac had Julia hitched to Uncle Bill’s buggy to take April home, and when the old mule became terrified at the boat’s whistle, April laughed at the beast’s lack of sense. Poor Julia! So old and so foolish!
Breeze had never realized how much April loved everybody. “How all o’ yunnuh do?” he asked affectionately. “How’s all home?” He had to choke back a sob as he looked into their serious faces.
Sherry put him on the buggy seat beside Uncle Isaac, who held the reins, but April couldn’t keep his balance, and Uncle Bill had to get in and hold him steady.
April excused himself by saying he was weak and nervish from lying flat down on his back so long. A bed draws a man’s strength in a hurry. Even a chair will do it.